Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online
by Older than Time
Summary: In 2018, Games Workshop, working in collaboration with Bioware Corp and the newly-founded Akihiko Industries, releases the long awaited, very much advertised, and completely revolutionary VMMORPG called Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online. In just two days, just over 40,000 players will enter the grim dark future where there is only war...
1. Prologue

_Ok, this pretty much hit and never let me go until I started writing…_

_So here's my main reason for not updating anything else, my newest crossover!_

_I saw an episode of SAO (Sword Art Online) and read 'WAO' Commisar Danno (did I spell that right?). Needless to say, I was hooked…_

_So please read my Warhammer 40K/SAO fic and review. Tell me if I messed up something or should improve something. Especially all you true 40K fans! I've only recently got into 40K thru Dawn of War game series._

**_UPDATE: _**_If you __w_ant to try and give me an OC, I'll see _what I can do. If the character is good, not overpo__w_ered and most of all, a person I can see in my head, then they may play a major or minor part in this fic.

**___UPDATE:_**___Player count changed from 10K to 40K...the irony is lovely_

___****__UPDATE: _Corrected spelling: 'Aguila' to 'Aquila'

**_UPDATE: Added a new part to the Chatacter Application. [NPC or OC?]_**

___All Characters must be submitted in this format:_

___Name [Game Name]_

___Age_

___NPC or OC?_

___Race/Ethnicity (In 'Life')_

___Race and Alignment (In-Game)_

___Basic Personality/Character Failings_

___Brief History_

___Class (Base Classes Only!)_

* * *

_**In the grim, dark future…**_

* * *

_**[the following is a fictional game release review by a fictional famous gaming network]**_

"…thousands are mobbing every major shopping center around the world! And why you may ask? Because in just two days_, the most anticipated_ game of the century, Warhammer 40,000: Destiny Online is set to arrive in stores."

_Around the globe, millions of people stare at their television screens, closely following the attractive brunette's words. She takes a breath and smirks smugly at them from behind the camera. Lesie O'Leary had been covering this story for a long time and viewers everywhere knew, or had a vague idea, of what she was talking about._

"Let me backtrack for those people who've been living under a rock for the past four years. Four years ago, on August 15th, 2014, Games Workshop announced at E4, or Electronics Expo 2014, that they would be working together with the then upcoming corporation Akihiko Corp and the again-independent Bioware Corp to completely remake the virtual reality and mass multiplayer online gaming industries. Using a still experimental technology, Akihiko Corp's NERVE Gear, these three companies would give us something gamers everywhere have only dreamed about. The NERVE Gear is a virtual reality helmet that stimulates the user's five senses via their brain; the helmet let players experience and control their in-game characters with their minds. Coupled with top of the line graphics, superior online gaming servers and a hefty market price of a thousand dollars, this sadly clunky helm will revolutionize the gaming industry forever."

_A second screen popped up showing the NERVE Gear, a grey, open-faced motorist-like helmet, being used by one of the many faceless BETA testers of the game. The shrouded face's lips move and the person falls asleep, signifying their entry into the virtual world. Around the slumbering gamer, scientists and doctors are clapping and smiling._

"As you can see, the NERVE Gear works just fine and is ready to take you on an adventure like no other. But enough about the console, let's move onto the game itself!"

_She gestures and the second screen changes, showing the very familiar trailer of W40K: DO…_

* * *

"Destiny Online is the latest, and possibly greatest, installment into the epic Warhammer 40,000 series that began as a tabletop miniature war game, the futuristic companion of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, created by Rick Priestley in 1987. Over seven editions and expansions nurtured the still popular tabletop game and twenty console games gave birth to Destiny Online. Many die hard 40K fans believe Destiny Online to be the culmination of thirty-one years of faithful following and according to some BETA testers, this may be true."

"Now, Warhammer 40,000 sets us in the grim dark, war-filled future where humanity stands against an insurmountable darkness. The Imperium of Man stands against savage tribes of Orks, enigmatic clans of Eldar, endless tides of Tyranids and the ever-corrupting forces of Chaos. In Destiny Online, players begin their journey on the planet Ageria of Subsector Regulus, deep in the Korianis Sector of the Milky Way Galaxy. There, they choose the path their character will take and depending on their choices, they can help decide the destiny of the entire Subsector."

_The second screen shows the galactic map of the fictional subsector. Red circles highlight one of five planets._

"To start off, Bioware followed the footsteps of CCP Games, the creators of the revolutionary EVE Online. There, players helped create the 'canon' or the history of the game. In DO, during the ALPHA and BETA testing stages of Destiny Online, the testing players helped shape the history of Subsector Regulus, paving the way for the upcoming wave of players. Also following the theme of most MMORPGs, there are certain features, races and quests that can only be unlocked or obtained by additional payments and purchases."

_Leslie places a bronze colored metal box stamped with the a__quila_ of the Emperor on one side and the eight-pointed star of Chaos on the other.

"For the standard twelve hundred dollars, gamers will receive the NERVE Gear helmet and the Bronze Edition of Destiny Online. The Bronze Edition lets players play as classic humans and allows them to follow the teachings of the God-Emperor of Man or the corrupt path of the Chaos Gods. The Bronze Edition unlocks most of the human classes such as Imperial Guardsmen, Tech-priests and the strange Citizen classes for the Imperium; for Chaos, players have the Cultist and Heretic classes. The combat classes (Imperial Guardsmen and Cultists) can, upon reaching a high enough level, command squads of men and women to fight alongside of them against their enemies."

_Leslie pulls out a second similar metal box, this time silver in color._

"This is the Silver Edition, selling at eighteen hundred dollars. Diehard fans of 40K will want this edition as not only are the elite classes of humanity unlocked, the race of Eldar and their elite classes are unlocked as well. To explain, the elite classes are specialized command classes that allow players to not only command greater numbers of soldiers, but send said soldiers on missions independent of the player in real time. That means one player can send his or her squad to fight an enemy on the other side of the virtual continent and inadvertently aid another player as he or she is ambushed by that very same enemy. I can guess many of you are just dying to know the exact names of these elite classes. Well, let me explain the regular classes for the ignorant first, okay?"

"There are only two base classes of Eldar: the Bonesinger and the Warrior. To elaborate and explain other base classes as well, let me outline what each base class does. The combat classes Imperial Guardsmen, Cultist and Warrior let players fight and adventure to their hearts' content and have the fastest possible route to reaching the other four planets in Subsector Regulus. Each class can ascend up to three specialist classes before they can reach an elite class.

"For the Imperial Guard, after players reach a certain point, they can become a Storm Trooper Sergeant, a Tank Division Commander or Imperial Guard Captain, depending on the route they take and the tactics they favor. As you can see, teamwork is the main theme for the Imperial Guard, regardless of your combat class."

"For Cultists, players can become a Cultist Leader or a Cultist Undivided. Since both classes are kind of vague, let me explain. A Chaos Cultist Leader lets players create a large band of cult followers, favoring numbers over excellence while a Cultist Undivided lets players focus only on their own character, not bothering with any followers to aid them."

"And Eldar players who choose the warrior class can eventually become a Howling Banshee, Guardian or Ranger. Banshees are blade-wielding eldar that move fast and hit hard. However, only female characters can choose to become one. Guardians, on the other hand, allow for both genders and are the Eldar-equivalent of an Imperial Guardsman. Last up are the Rangers, the stealthy snipers and blade-wielders of the Craftworlds."

* * *

_Leslie smiles and gestures to another screen near her, this one displaying three robed (well, only two had robes) figures: a Tech-priest, a Bonesinger and a Heretic._

"Ok, next are the Builders, a player class never done before and heavily favored by many of the BETA players of DO. The Builder classes allow players to add to the various built-in cities and settlements of the subsector; you can even create a brand new settlement that will eventually fill with NPCs on its own! Bronze players are initially restricted to modifications to existing buildings but can eventually build small homes and minor defense points, such as turrets and watchtowers. The Builder classes have up to three specialist classes."

"Imperium Tech-priests can become Enginseers, Electro-priests or Tech-Guards. Enginseers can repair most any machine, both on and off the battlefield and have one or two cybernetic augmentations. Electro-priests are combat capable but are best utilized as a support to the actual combat classes. Tech-Guards, or to the diehard 40K fan - the Skitarii, actually fight more than repair. Skitarii are the militant arm of the Mechanicus and best used as defenders rather than builders."

"Chaos Heretic, unlike the Tech-priest, only has a single special class, the Declared Heretic. The Declared Heretic can take on five forms, depending on your patron god or philosophy. Khorne Heretics can fight fairly well against minor units, build heavy turrets and create altars to Khorne to sacrifice their kills to. Tzeetch Heretics can't fight but can build hidden statues of Tzeetch that corrupt nearby NPCs and cause other players' troops to become corrupted as well. Nurgle Heretics can corrupt crop fields, poison wells and even mutate NPCs. Slaanesh Heretics can bewitch enemies to fight for them and cause daemonettes to appear at random times. Finally, Chaos Undivided Heretics have only a single ability added in to the default Heretic abilities with the same name – Chaos Undivided. This ability can only be used once every few days. The power Chaos Undivided opens a portal to the Warp that lets out a small horde of minor daemons in the general area."

"And finally, the Bonesingers. Bonesingers can't advance their class like Heretics or Tech-Priests, but they make up for it by being a great builder and fighter at the same time. Level your skills enough and you can build on the fly while you're in the midst of a fight.

_She sighs and the show goes to a commercial break._ _She returns and gestures to a third screen._

"The Last class is pretty exclusive only to humans. Even then it's only for the Imperium. The strange Citizen class popped up during the end of the BETA stage of DO and was actually quite popular. The Citizen class sets players as just that, a citizen of Subsector Regulus. You have none of the combat or craft skills, but you do have the unique set of Citizen skills such as Plant, Harvest, Bake and Convert. This may seem pointless but hear me out. I had the same skepticism as you guys but one BETA tester showed me the sheer versatility of the Citizen class. Sure you have to work three times as hard as the combat or builder players, but in the end, citizen players have the most freedom to explore the various worlds in DO. They also have a neat little bonus in the next edition~."

_Leslie smirks and pulls out a larger metal box, this one very intricate and golden._

"Now this is the Gold Collector's edition, sold only to the BETA testers at fifty percent retail price and then only to the first five hundred non-BETA players. Non-BETA's will have to shill out a whopping twenty-five grand to get this prize but I'm told it's well worth the price. In this box is an Imperial Guard-styled NERVE Gear Helmet, a beginner's fortune in-game and the chance to skip straight to one of the elite classes. I know I've yet to explain the elite classes but I had to show off this cool helmet first."

_Leslie shoves the Guard-style helm on her head and gives the camera a happy salute._

* * *

"Okay, the elite classes. Each race has up to two branches of classes that lead up to the final 'elite' class. First up: combat classes, starting with the Imperial Guard. Now the IG players can either become one of the special classes or than can decide, 'Hey, I'm gonna work my ass off and become even more badass than my buddy!' By deciding to specialize as a Commisar, players get the chance to not only command up to seven squads of guardsmen, they can also have their men specialize into different NPC-only classes such as Heavy Weapons Squad, Tank Specialist and Voxcaster."

"Next, Chaos. Cultist can curry favor by giving themselves to their Gods and possibly become an Aspiring Champion of Chaos. However, they are not true Heretical Astartes, but pseudo-marines that fall short of the real thing. But hey, you get wicked power armor, big guns and strangely bad skin problems…"

"Warrior players can specialize into Exarchs and then to Autarchs, depending on the way you play your character. Exarch players reach great heights in combat and use their experience to help their squads excel and advance. Autarchs find themselves commanding over troops more over leaping right into the fray, but can regress to an Exarch if they decide that they'd rather chop up enemies themselves."

_She marches over to another area _w_ith an even larger screen._

"Okay, elite builder classes! Elite builders have the ability to not only modify current settlements, but actual build up new towns and villages if given the chance. They also can build vehicles for other players as opposed to those players having to save up and buy them. Each builder class can specialize but only certain special classes can go elite. So be sure you like your class before complaining later."

"Okay, Tech players can go elite if they chose to go the Enginseer path, allowing them to reach the Magos class. But even better, the Magos class has two specializations, the Magos Errant and Magos Explorator. Magos Errants can repurpose and upgrade machines and vehicles, such as a settlement's defense turrets and watchtowers into several story tall defensive wall large and imposing enough to even make an Ork back off. Explorators can search old ruins, factories and downed ships; even extracting and excavating the old machines for their own use."

"Heretic players can't go elite but they do unlock the ability to turn a corrupted settlement or base into a true cesspit of Chaos, transforming the buildings and defenses into their Chaotic counterparts. They can can monuments and altars to Chaos that empower other players and NPCs. Heretics also can add decorative spiked pillars and skewered heads that destroy the morale of invading Imperials."

"And Bonesingers can become Spiritseers, letting them build even more Eldar buildings and help make any Eldar base truly invisible to non-Eldar players. They can also take the spirit stones of recently fallen Eldar NPCs to implant into an empty or recently built wraithguard or wraithlord."

"I'm running out of time but I have one last tidbit for you all to hear. Supposedly, and this is only a passing rumor coming from the development team itself! But supposedly there are certain NERVE Gear that allows the first users to become actual Astartes and Sororitas. For those that don't know, Sororitas are the female version of the Space Marines, called the Sisters of Battle. If any of you find one, remember these words:

"_They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me. Like clay I shall mould them and in the furnace of war forge them. They shall be of iron will and steel sinew. In great armour I shall clad them and with the mightiest weapons they will be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight them. They shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines and they shall know no fear._"

"Now get out there and get in line for your NERVE Gear! For the Emperor!"


	2. Chapter 1 - Astartes Part 1

_So I've gotten some good revie__ws from you all and felt I should address some stuff:_

_1 – I've actually read up on the immense lore and know about the Sororitas' real role in the 40K universe. 'Leslie' however does not._

_2 – No Ork players because the Orks are too 'killy en Orky' for just any old player to play. But the Orks will be completely integral to the future of all the players of 40K: DO._

_3 – I've edited the player count to 40,000 at the behest of __**Blinded in a Bolthole**__. The irony is just too lovely to pass up._

_4 – And __**mr I hate znt nobles kill em**__, I'd put on the NERVE Gear helmet…I'd love to game in true VR so much…_

_5 – I just realized that Commissar has two 's'…so I'll be sure to correct that oversight._

_Also, I'd really love for any of my readers to PM or just revie__w if you find any major mistakes, parts that could be improved or even would like they're own character to make an appearance. Character Sheet format is and will remain in the Prologue!_

_Also making appearances to help lead each race are the ever-mighty Chapter Master Gabriel Angelos of the Blood Ravens, annoyingly-undying Eliphas the Inheritor of the Word Bearers, Farseer Idranel of Uthwe and the legendary Commissar Sebastian Yarrick. (I do not take any responsibility for any OCs rallying to Yarrick's banner and charging to their deaths against the Ork Horde.)_

* * *

"_**Show me a fortress, and I'll show you a ruin."**_

* * *

_**Chapter 1 – Link Start: Astartes – Part 1**_

* * *

"…today's date is March 23rd, 2018 and thousands of gamers young and old are returning to their homes with Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online and their personal NERVE Gear. I've been told that the Astartes/Sororitas rumors have been confirmed and just two hundred NERVE Gear helmets, regardless of the edition you purchase, will have the Astartes – that is, the Space Marines – unlocked for Imperial and Chaos players. And just only one hundred helmets will have the Sororitas race unlocked for the Imperium. And I'm getting an update from Jenny who is on location at Akihiko Corp America in San Jose, California that Chaos players won't be able to play 'corrupted' Sororitas but have more Chaos Space Marine content, such as Traitor Legion Banners, the ability to gather large bands of Cultist NPCs, Chaos Marine NPCs and…oh, I'm not supposed to say anything else. We'll be moving to Jenny on location; take it away Jenny!"

_Screen changes to show a pretty redhead smiling in a large convention room filled with people and Warhammer merchandise._

"Hey there Leslie, I'm here at Akihiko Corp America, San Jose, California and the convention room is packed. Over three hundred players, reporters and 40K fans are here to see some live-gameplay of Destiny Online, buy some wicked 40K gear and most of all, meet the design and development team of this phenomenal game. Over to my right are three life-sized Space Marines. From what I've been told, each are from a different clan of Astartes, called Chapters, or in one's case, a Traitor Legion. Going from left to right, these are an Ultramarine, a Grey Knight and a Black Legion Space Marine. And I-OH My GOD! Sorry, folks but it turns out that there are actual people beneath what I now know is a costume. (Jenny smacks the laughing Black Legion Astartes)_."_

_Screen pans left, following Jenny as she walks over._

"And here on my left is the man who made this all possible Kayaba Akihiko! Hello Akihiko-san, can you tell me anything at all about Destiny Online that you feel our viewers at home should know before logging in tonight?"

_Kayaba smirks…_

"Well I'd just like to say that Destiny Online will be the ultimate experience in gaming history. The truly immense game world won't just be limited to Planet Ageria, but will span the entire Subsector Regulus. Subsector Regulus has five planets: Ageria, Orion, Cyrax, Dur and Cerberus. And I'd like to announce that for the first three months, all Imperium players will be restricted to Ageria, Eldar players to Cyrax and our Chaos players to the planet Cerberus on the other end of the Subsector. This will allow players to settle into the 40K Universe and really feel the separation of ideologies of Chaos, Eldar and the Imperium. After those first three months, I'll be revealing the two main methods of transport between the planets. There will be many more surprises in the days to come so be sure to log in on time so you won't miss out on the exciting world of Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online."

"And what about the established Astartes/Sororitas rumor? Any comments on that?"

"As we've stated earlier today, only two hundred NERVE Gear helmets will have the Space Marines and one hundred for the Sisters of Battle unlocked."

"But Akihiko-san…"

"Call me Kayaba, it's much easier."

"Kayaba. But doesn't that unbalance the game by having a whole race and set of classes exclusive to the Imperium?"

"You might say that, but in fact, the inclusion of Sororitas characters balances everything out. Remember that everyone in the 40K Universe can turn to the Chaos Gods. Adding to the fact that players have the choice to stay true to their initial alignments or turning to the other side, you have the chance to add whole new dimensions to the 40K Universe."

"But isn't a Sororitas falling to Chaos completely against the lore of Warhammer?"

"Not at all! Well, not really. According to my colleagues in Games Workshop, there has been only one case in the lore of a Sororitas turning to Chaos. And after several months of negotiation by Bioware and myself to give players that freedom of choice, Games Workshop has decided to allow Sororitas players to turn to Chaos."

"So players that want to play as a Chaos Sororitas have to first start off as an Imperial then turn to Chaos? Isn't that a little drawn out?"

"Yes, but sometimes the lengthy path to your goal makes the end more worthwhile."

"Well thank you for your comments, Kayaba. This is Jenny here at Akihiko Corp America, back to you Leslie!"

_Screen fades out…_

* * *

_Warhammer 40K: DO had been out for a good three days and finally, James finally picked up his pre-ordered Silver edition of the VMMORPG._

_"…ten…nine…eight…seven…six…"_

_He sits in his room staring at his clock, NERVE Gear helmet in place…_

_"Five…four…three…"_

_He saved so much money to buy the Silver edition and no__w __after four years of waiting, the time had finally come for him to enter the grim dark future._

_"Two…one…"_

'Heh…I'm ready.'

_"Link Start!"_

His vision fades to black and he finds himself in a dark void. In front of him are two towering Astartes, one a Loyalist Ultramarine and the other a Traitor of the Black Legion. Above them is the shining logo for Destiny Online and he can faintly hear hymns sung by a choir echo through the void.

_"Welcome to Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online. Would you like to begin?"_

James inwardly cheers, saying "Yes". The Astartes disappear and a pillar of light appears.

_"Step into the light so that the system may identify you for maximum interface."_

Stepping in, James feels like a wave of heat surges down on him. The heat builds to a near unbearable level, but then it quickly ends. A console rises from the darkness. Seeing the instructions, James sets his screen name as [Revan] and luckily, it is accepted.

_"Profile saved. Hello [Revan], you will soon step into the grim dark existence of the Warhammer Universe. The next phase is character creation. Are you [Male] or [Female]?"_

James, or rather [Revan], chose [Male]. He didn't really see the attraction of playing as a girl…

_"__Next, [Race]. Are you [Human] or [Eldar]?"_

Picking [Human], Revan is then presented by a mirror image of himself, clothed in plain brown pants. He's then presented with a bright, shining two-headed eagle cast in gold, an {Imperial Aquila] and a cast-iron, eight-pointed star, [Symbol of Chaos]. Not waiting to be asked, Revan quickly chooses the [Aquila] and is next presented by not three, but four classes to choose from! Arrayed around him are four version of himself. One wearing the flak armor of an [Imperial Guardsman], one in the red robes of a [Tech-Priest], a third wearing simple garments of [Citizen] and lastly, a towering [Astartes] in plain white armor.

_'No…frakin'…way…'_

Not even giving the voice time to speak, Revan chooses the [Astartes], practically giggling at his unbelievable luck. Stifling his glee, Revan remembers the voice is still speaking…

_"…choose the Chapter in which you serve __and your journey may begin."_

Mildly confused about the lack of further instruction, Revan chooses his favorite Space Marine Chapter, the Blood Ravens. He watches in awe as his [Astartes] Character's armor takes on the coloring of the Blood Ravens. Suddenly, his counterpart's eyes open and Revan finds himself on the bridge of a ship of some sort…

* * *

"…rother Revan…Battle-Brother!"

'Huh? What the hell?'

Revan turns and sees an Astartes even taller than he is looking at him strangely. He marvels at the sheer detail of the character. The face and armor bear the scars of previous battles and he actually looks like a real person…if that person were a towering giant in power armor… Revan's vision blurs for a moment, then a HUD of all things appears before his eyes. A green outline appears around the Astartes, labeling him as an allied NPC named [Sergeant Tydus]. A small menu appears below his name with only a single dialogue option: [Acknowledge]: Answer [Tydus].

"Yes, Brother-Sergeant Tydus?"

[Sergeant Tydus] huffs and states,

"Brother, you are needed in the Armory. [Brother-Techmarine Julius] has finished repairing your sacred wargear."

Revan nods and heads off. His HUD has an incomplete mini-map of the area, a large destroyer labeled [The Wings of Orion]. Apparently this was a Blood Ravens' ship. On the mini-map was a small yellow ping. Figuring that it was where the Techmarine was, Revan navigated through the halls of the destroyer. Suddenly at an intersection, a box of text appeared.

[STOP! While you may know where your main objective is, it's in your best interests to explore the area! There are many possible hidden objectives in any closed area that can only be done at this time. Forgo these possible missions and you'll miss out on possible rewards.]

Revan nodded to himself whilst dismissing the text. It was sound advice and he headed to another section of the ship. Most of the doors where closed, but one open door let Revan into a small room with a single occupant, a Scout Marine labeled [Sergeant Miro]. Revan decided to talk to the sergeant.

"[Greet]: Sergeant Miro, greetings!"

The scout sergeant turned and acknowledged Revan.

"Greetings Brother. Are you in need of something?"

A dialogue menu opened. There were three options: [Goodbye], [Ask Rumor] and [Ask if in need of help]. He decided to see if the sergeant knew of any missions.

"Do you know of any strange talk amongst our brothers or the crew, Sergeant?"

"There has been talk of a rivalry between two initiates and Brother-Techmarine Julius has been having problems. Other than that, I'm not sure. Goodbye Brother."

The Sergeant returned to his desk and Revan was ejected gently into the hall. On his mini-map, two new pings appeared, this time white. One of them was in the same spot as his main mission. Heading to the other, he found himself witnessing a fight between two scout marines, or intiates as they're usually called. Both were outlined in white and an [Interfere] option was presented. Following through, Revan shoved himself between the two.

"By the Emperor brothers, calm yourselves! Explain yourselves!"

The two, now identified as [Initiate Anders] and [Initiate Fenris] backed away from each other and explained. Fenris had witnessed Anders exhibit psyker abilities on a previous mission and had told their sergeant of it. Anders, believing his abilities to be too weak to matter, confronted Fenris on multiple occasions. Revan was then presented with three options: [Side with Fenris], [Side with Anders] or [Leave them to their own devices].

'It's one of those moral choices Bioware is so famous for…damn…uh…I don't like Chaos and if Anders gets corrupted…'

"[Side with Fenris]: Anders, your psyker potential, no matter how insignificant, can endanger your brothers. Go see the Librarian so he may decide if you're in need of psyker training."

Anders looked angry but followed Revan's order. Fenris thanked him for his support and stated that he'd gladly follow Revan into battle as a battle-brother. A text box popped up just as Revan was leaving the room.

_Congratulations! You gained Devoutness to the Emperor. Devoutness is a value that helps you resist Chaotic influences. The greater your Devoutness, the less Chaotic abilities affect you! At max [Devotion], you can shrug off any morale damaging effects. Sufficient [Devotion] also allows you to gain morale from nearby [Imperial Aguila] and equip special accessories such as [Seals of Purity]._

_Congratulations! You've gained the support of an important NPC. Certain NPCs can help or hinder you in future missions. By gaining their support, new options and routes may be accessed. However, also by earning another's ire, you may have made an enemy that could alter your mission in the future. Be careful and make sure you consider the consequences of your choices!_

_'Huh…so I've possibly pissed off a future psyker…great…'_

Shrugging, Revan explored more of the ship, completing three additional side missions, [Deliver a Message], [Find a Missing Item] and [Pray to the Emperor]. From these, he gained access to 1x[Inventory Slot], 5x[Imperial Credits] and a bit more Devoutness to his [Devotion Meter]. He finally came to the Armory where [Techmarine Julius] was waiting.


	3. Chapter 2 - Commissar Part 1

_An__sw_ering revie_w by Kane:_

___I'll probably be adding in the Tyranids, Necrons and possibly even Dark Eldar as events. Thanks for the inspiration!_

* * *

_**"Blessed is the mind too small for doubt."**_

* * *

_**Chapter 2 – Link Start: Commissar – Part 1**_

* * *

_"So players that want to play as a Chaos Sororitas have to first start off as an Imperial then turn to Chaos? Isn't that a little drawn out?"_

_"Yes, but sometimes the lengthy path to your goal makes the end more worthwhile."_

_"Well thank you for your comments, Kayaba. This is Jenny here at Akihiko Corp America, back to you Leslie!"_

_Screen fades out…_

* * *

Leah sighed as she returned to her sprawling townhouse…empty of all but her butler Gerald. Her mother and father were out and about being the top socialites in the city…just like they'd been doing all her life. She removed her hat and scarf, letting her black, shoulder-length hair loose.

"Ah, you managed to get your new game, young mistress? I'd have preferred to have retrieved the - ah, NERVE Gear in your stead. It has been quite chilly recently."

Leah turned to find Gerald, uptight, dignified and looking worried. He hurriedly took her coat, hat and scarf, hanging them in the closet.

"I'm fine, Gran'da. 'Twas a little nippy and the cold air made my walk quite refreshing. And didn't I tell you to stop calling me 'young mistress'? You practically raised me my entire life…"

For a moment, Gerald became the kindly old man that she had called 'Gran'da' for half her life before returning to his usual expression.

"Be that at it may, I'm still under the employ of your…parents and I-"

Leah interrupted him.

"See?! Even you pause when calling them that!"

He sighed and hugged her gently.

"Don't fret my dear. One day…someday soon they'll realize what an amazing young woman you've become and tell you how much they love you. But in the mean time, why not try out your new device while I whip us up some treacle tart?"

Leah smiled fondly at him and headed up to her room…well, her special game room that remained locked to all but Gerald and herself. Inside was a plethora of Warhammer figurines and memorabilia, ranging from a small diorama of the Death of Sanguinius to a wall-spanning mural of a great battle featuring Tanith's First and Only against a legion of Orks. Leah smiled widely as she entered the one place where she could be who she wanted and none but Gerald knew existed.

She quickly changed her warm-dress to one of her most treasured possessions, a set of completely accurate to-the-very-last-detail Commissar Regalia she had commissioned months ago after reserving her Gold edition NERVE Gear Helmet and Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online. Giggling softly, she set the Commissarial coat upon her shoulders, a decorative Power Sword at her hip and a reproduction Bolt Gun in her left hand. Placing her hat in her lap, Leah settled into her comfy recliner and fitted the Guard-style NERVE Gear on her head.

Taking a deep breath, she said,

"Link Start"

_Greetings [Leandra]. Would you like to [Load BETA Data] or [Create New Profile]?_

"[Load BETA Data – Commissar]"

_I'm sorry, but your [BETA Data – Commissar] is in need of updating. Please vie__w your character to make necessary adjustments._

Leah frowned but did as instructed. Her original character, an older and taller, blonde version of her stood. Amazonian in build, left eye replaced with a cybernetic augment and wearing full commissarial regalia, her game self was certainly the perfect picture of an Imperial Commissar. A pillar of light encased both her 'real' body and character. The almost burning sensation briefly surged before abruptly ending. Breathing deeply, Leandra blinked and noticed that her character had lost some of the more…boxy and pixilated features, becoming more streamlined and life-like.

'So that's what the game meant by 'updating' my character.

A largish text box appeared before her, displaying her [Skills]. A new skill had been added, giving her four default [Skills] instead of only three. In the BETA, there had only been the [Melee-], [Ranged-] and [Light Armor Expertise] [Skills]. Now there was a new one, called [Leadership]…

…ah so [Leadership] signified the number of troops she could recruit, command, train and promote.

Looking again, Leandra also found she had three empty [Secondary Skill] slots, another new feature. But she also had to redistribute her [Skill EXP].

_[Skill EXP] are gained after gaining enough relevant Experience from killing enemies, completing tasks and missions and finding hidden areas. Certain actions such as headshots from afar, driving certain vehicles and commanding troops in battle all grant Experience to your [Skills]. Unlike previous RPGs where a player levels up periodically, following a proportionate numerical value system, DO has no such system._

_Destiny Online uses a brand new system called the 'True Life System', where taking [Damage] such being hit, falling from a great height or being poisoned mirrors real life action and reactions. So you will feel bruised, battered and fatigued in DO as compared to previous games where your [Health] and [Energy] are numerical values that increase as you level and decrease as you take damage. No longer do you get shot in the head and lose a measure of health in a HUD meter. No longer do you sprint massive distances because you leveled your [Sprint] skill so high that it takes such negligible energy._

_Using the 'True Life System', gamers feel the real limitations of their characters' bodies. You feel the hits you take, taste the food you eat, quench the thirsts you have… The 'True Life System' was the ultimate in virtual gaming._

_Back to [Skill EXP]. After you've gained a varying amount of [Experience] in a certain skill, you can ascend to the next stage of competency. One example would be with [Melee Expertise]. Using a single type of weapon, such as a one-handed sword would get you [Melee Expertise]…for that specific type of weapon. Suddenly switching to a one-handed axe means starting from the beginning in [Melee Expertise] for that specific weapon type. You'd also have to see the [Skill Mentor] for that weapon type to redistribute your [Skill EXP]._

_For more information, please refer to the in-game player guide [Codex Destiny]._

Fixing up her [Skills] for free thanks to still being in the [Character Creation] phase, Leandra set her [Ranged-] and [Light Armor Expertise] to their previous stages (Superior and Relic). For the remaining [Skill EXP], she set her [Melee Expertise] to Basic and set her [Leadership] as high as she could.

For her Commissar, the [Leadership] skill had Commissar, Commissar-Captain, Colonel-Commissar and Lord-Commissar. Thanks to her remaining [Skill EXP], Leandra reached the perfectly respectable Commissar-Captain rank, which let her command at up to two squads and requisition IG NPCs from a base's guard barracks. Luckily, the standard Commissar rank had let her keep the [Execution] ability that made Commissars a major favorite. [Executeion] let a player shoot a useless, rebellious or cowardly NPC trooper. The result was completely restored [Morale], temporary [Morale Damage Immunity] and roughly fifteen percent increase in ranged accuracy; though that last one was only through vigorous testing and experimentation by the BETA testers.

* * *

A flash of light later, Leah, or rather [Leandra] found herself in a scar-ridden ruin in the forest. All around her was evidence that a great battle took place and judging from the corpses and destroyed vehicles, Orks had attacked the [Imperial Guard Outpost] she had paid some Tech-players to build for her. Given that this was now the primary release for DO, her lost forces were likely now part of the game lore. She briefly smirked at the thought of that…

"Commissar Leandra!"

Leandra whirled around, her [Superior Bolt Gun] snapping up. Firing up a single shot, she destroyed part of a ruined wall, sending the crier to the ground. Looking closer, her HUD identified the man as an NPC, one of hers actually. Picking himself up, [Storm Trooper Sergeant Fordo] of the _23rd Agerian Orkbuster Regiment_ saluted her. Responding in kind, she was handed a series of reports on what had occurred while she was logged out_._

Apparently her regiment had nearly doubled in size but had gotten completely mauled by the newly-arrived Ork Warboss, Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka. The remnants of her troops had been taken under the command of…

…LORD-COMMISSAR YARRICK?!

Leandra blanked out for a moment before unleashing a most girlish squeal. Her inner fangirl was momentarily unleashed at the mere thought of meeting Commissar Yarrick in the flesh…so to speak. Calming down, Leandra saw her sergeant staring at her incredulously. She raised her pistol to his face and said very calmly,

"You saw nothing Sergeant. Am I clear?"

[Fordo] gulped and responded,

"Nuthin' bu' da win' ma'am!"

"Good. You are to escort me to the rest of the men. I'll be retaking command as soon as possible, Sgt. Fordo."

[Fordo]hesitated for a moment before leading her down a well-worn path.

"Something the matter, sergeant?"

"…wut abou' Lord-Commissar Yarrick? He's cur'antlee in co'mand, ma'am."

Leandra stumbled for a moment at the thought of trying to take her men back from Commissar Yarrick…

"…w-we'll come to that later, Sgt. Fordo."

"…aye, ma'am."

Setting her character to [Follow Target], she let her body automatically be lead while she reviewed the information she had been given.

Her favorite troops had survived the Ork assault, specifically her Storm Trooper Squad - which was still at full strength and her single Heavy Bolter Team. All her standard guardsmen and conscripts were dead. Sadly her base was gone, as she had seen when she had arrived.

The report also indicated that the major factions on Ageria had changed since the BETA stage. Her _23rd Agerian Orkbuster Regiment_ had lost the three other IG players. Phil, Erica and Howard – or as they were known in-game [Hayward], [Edenia] and [Dionysus] had all switched classes or factions; even changed their screen names. Luckily she had been active enough during the BETA and had controlled a large enough area that her guild had become part of the game itself. So all she had to do was retake command of her remaining troops, rebuild her numbers find enough new members to reactivate her guild.

Lastly…urgh, the old Ork Warboss, Bigklaw Und Dakka was still here and was fighting Warboss Ghazghkull for control of the Ageria's ork population. So not only did she have to deal with a bunch of 'noobs', but she also had to deal with two whole Ork clans at war…

* * *

Suddenly her HUD turned red, signifying that she and [Fordo] had come under attack. Breaking away, she took cover behind a fallen log, the sergeant not far behind. The roaring sound of 'dakka' told Leandra that she had been ambushed by some orks. Peeking up, she found three Shoota Boyz bearing down on her position, their shootaz spewing metallic death.

"Blasted orks! Seargeant, return fire! Send those greenskins to their heathen gods!"

[Fordo] nodded and open fired on the orks, his [Hellgun] taking out one of the boyz. Leandra drew her pistol as well, first disabling a boyz' shoota. [Fordo] had just taken the second ork down when the last ork boy, shoota disabled, charged forward. Roaring 'waaagh', he slammed his gun down splitting the log in two. [Fordo] was knocked aside by the ork's upswing. Growling heatedly, Leandra drew her [Chainsword] and shredded the Shoota Boy's right arm off, following up with quick sawing slash that decapitated the greenskin.

"Ugh, dam'd ork nok'd me on m'ass…"

"[Loot]: Sgt. Fordo, rummage though the greenskins' corpses. Find anything still sufficiently intact, non-heretical and still of use. You have one minute."

He nodded and set about searching the corpses, searching specifically for the greatly unappreciated and undervalued [Scrap Metal] item. Normally the [Scrap Metal] item was useless to everyone but Tech-players, but Leandra had found it to be very useful during the BETA. [Scrap Metal] helped to pay most Tech-NPCs and –players for services instead of credits; saved her a fortune on repairs and new gear.

"Fin'sh'd, ma'am."

Leandra nodded, the 3x[Scrap Metal], 12x[Imperial Credits] and 1x[Damaged Bolt Gun] added to her near empty [Inventory]…oh, she had forgotten about the 'in-game fortune' that came with the Golden edition. 10,000x[Imperial Credits] would go a long way if she played her cards right. Might even help persuade some players to join her guild/regiment…


	4. Chapter 3 - Astartes Part 2

_If you spot any inconsistencies, please tell me!_

* * *

_"**An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded."**_

* * *

_**Chapter 3 – Link Start: Astartes – Part 2.**_

* * *

"[Greet]: Brother Julius, you have finished repairing my wargear?"

[Julius] turned to him.

"Indeed brother. I also have your other weapons your helm. You put them through many trials on your last mission.

[Julius] held out a metal box that Revan took. Suddenly a text box appeared.

_You've received 1x[Bolter]. You unlocked the [Toggle Helmet Option] and the default wargear. By default, your [Astartes] has basic power armor, an optional helmet, a basic bolt gun and a combat knife. Your default weapons level proportionately to your weapon skills. Purchasable__wargear can only be equipped after you meet the requirements indicated in the wargear description._

A new menu appeared, the [Equipment Menu]. In it a small picture of him in his default power armor. To the side was a bunch of empty boxes signifying the lack of equipped wargear. Figuring it out, Revan equipped the [Bolter] as his main weapon. He also noticed a little script below his character…

_You can switch to your default wargear at any time. Doing so does not unequip your current main weapon. You can quickly switch between your main and default weapons at any time by merely drawing your combat knife from your back-right hip. Your bolt gun is situated on your left thigh and can be drawn while your main weapon is still out. Doing so renders you main weapon unusable unless you have a [One-Handed Melee Weapon] equipped._

Sighing, Revan wondered if there was a manual or something. Deciding to see if there was he stated,

"Open [Manual]"

…nothing happened.

"Open [Skill Menu]?"

Another window replaced the [Equipment Menu]. Labeled the [Skill Menu], Revan found that he had four default [Skills] and three [Secondary Skill] slots. His default [Skills] were [Power Armor Expertise], [Ranged Expertise], [Melee Expertise] and [Leadership]. His [Secondary Skill] slots were empty, presumably to allow him to learn new [Skills] later. Examining his default [Skills], Revan found that as he progressed and became more proficient in each skill, certain wargear were able to be equipped and special buffs were rewarded.

One example was the [Power Armor Expertise]. There were four levels of skill for it: Basic, Superior, Relic and Artifact. Currently he rated at Basic, but if he reached Superior he could not only wear Superior level power armor, he also gained the [Conditioning] buff. [Conditioning] let him reduce the weight of any power armor her wore to zero, allowing him to carry more or heavier items with little fuss.

Another example was for [Leadership], which had five ranks: Marine, Sergeant, Veteran Sergeant, Captain and Honor Guard. At the Marine rank, he could only fight solo and order around certain squads during special times. The Sergeant rank let him use four Marines that were under his command at any time but Veteran Sergeant let him recruit certain NPCs to become [Astartes] themselves, provided he has a [Techmarine] and [Apothecary] in his ranks from special missions. At Captain rank he could recruit other players to become Space Marines as long as they aren't already specialized…and as long as they're human… And Honor Guard…damn, that rank let him advance his space marine followers to unique ranks like Techmarine, Apothecary and even Chaplain!

'…I'm so putting all I got into [Leadership]…'

Nodding, Revan turned his attention back to the Techmarine.

"I suggest you head down to the hangar bay, brother. Soon, we'll be over Ageria."

Seeing that all dialogue options had ended, Revan glanced around the Armory. There were several wargear displayed on the walls, some outlined in yellow by his HUD. Walking over to the [Heavy Bolter], he closely examined the information box that appeared, disregarding the description; he was more interested in the [Skill] information. He was curious on when he'd be able to use such a badass weapon…

_[Heavy Bolter] Requirements:_

_[Ranged Expertise]: Bolter – [Superior], Unlock [Suppressive Fire]._

Slightly confused, Revan sort of…tapped the [Suppressive Fire] box and _was rewarded with an explanation._

_After gaining a level of [Experience] for a particular [Skill] or completing certain missions, you may be re__warded with an [Ability] or a buff. [Suppressive Fire] can be unlocked by completing the [Defense of the Initiate] mission._

'So I can gain [Abilites]…I _wonder if my [Secondary Skills] will provide some [Abilities] as well…'_

Revan examined the other wargear, seeing the other possible weapons and armor he could use in the future. Filing the information about the [Chainsword], [Relic] level wargear, and [Jump Packs] away for later, he headed out. He was gonna find as many side missions as possible…

* * *

…sadly he found none and had basically been herded to the Hangar chasing down the various rumors he found. So far he had merely located a few hidden items; 100x[Imperial Credits], [Sergeant Miro's Knife] and 1x[Locked Box]. He had gone straight to where [Sergeant Miro] had been before but found the scout marine absent. Asking the various NPCs had led Revan to the Hangar; more specifically, the deck's [Drop Pod] Launch Bay. Looking around, he spotted the sergeant standing by some initiates.

He made his way over and presented [Miro] with his knife and was rewarded with the 'Support gained!' text box again. So apparently, he had some support from two characters now.

_"…rothers of the 7th Company! I, Captain Aegis, ask that you lend me your ears!"_

Revan glanced up and noticed various speakers arrayed along the walls and ceiling. So the voice was coming from the 'vox'…

_"Brothers, we have arrived over our recently acquired recruiting world of Ageria in Subsector Regulus. Over 3 months ago, we of the 7th Company were ordered to scout the planets at the behest of the Ordo Psykana and our Chapter Master, Gabriel Angelos. Reports from the Imperial Guard and our scans of the system show an infestation of Orks plagues the subsector. Moreover, [Brother-Librarian Kantus] believes that the taint of Chaos is present in here. Brothers, your or-…"_

Whatever the captain would have said next was lost. The whole ship shuddered and quaked as we came under assault by some unknown force.

_"BROTHERS! BATTLE STATIONS! CHAOS HAS COME!"_

Ok, not so-unknown. Revan glanced around the hangar and at my mini-map, but found nothing that hinted at what he should do. He spotted the initiates huddle down near the [Drop Pods] and was startled out of his reverie by [Sergeant Miro].

"Brother Revan, watch over the initiates. I need to find [Veteran-Sergeant Cyrus]!"

Revan nodded and moved to the scouts. As [Miro] bolted away, another blast shook the ship and the whole room started to…tip? The vox screeched as the reports of the techmarines blasted through.

_"…shields failing!"_

_"…-ost all power to…"_

_"Starboard batteries lost!"_

_"Inertial dampeners failing!"_

_"…vitational actuator is gone!"_

'Okay, all that sounds really bad…'

Revan didn't even have time to react when a [Thunderhawk] was ripped from its place by the latest attack. It slid across the hangar towards the [Drop Pods]…

'Frak…'

A hundred-twenty-one tons of adamantium, ceramite, titanium and other miscellaneous slammed into him and the shell-shocked initiates. Revan and the five scouts were knocked into a [Drop Pod] and then jettisoned out of the ship. They were bathed in blaring red light and his helmet's vox emitted various screeches and garbled words. Revan managed to make out a few words…orders actually…

_"Captai…-ound a drop pod he-…Ageria. …-others inside."_

_"Broth-…nce you make landfall, se…hidd-…Emperor Protects!"_

'…so not helpful.'

* * *

After what felt like an eternity later, the [Drop Pod] crashed and slammed open. The initiates and Revan toppled out of the pod and into a river of some kind...fifteen feet below. Slightly stunned thanks mostly to his armor, Revan got up and stumbled to the river bank. Looking around, he saw that they had landed in a forested area at the base of a waterfall. Up above, he could see the damaged [Drop Pod] stuck on some rocky outcroppings at the waterfall's edge.

"…*cough* Brother Revan, are you alright?"

Revan turned and found [Fenris] looking at him. He and his fellow scouts were soaked to the bone but fine.

"I'm alright brother. Any injuries?"

"None, sir. Do you have anything on the vox from the [Wings of Orion]?"

Revan considered the vague message he had heard and attempted to contact the destroyer. All he could hear on the vox was static. Using the HUD's vox control, Revan attempted to try other built-in frequencies but found nothing.

"Only a garbled message during out descent initiate. Here, see what you can make of it."

He removed his helmet manually and held it to the initiate. A menu popped up, asking,

_[Support Task – Examine Vox] Begun: Give helmet to [Initiate Fenris]? Y/N_

He jabbed 'Y' and [Fenris] took the helm. He wandered to the side and sat on a rock near two of the scouts. A meter appeared above his head. It didn't fill or anything; Revan assumed it was the task's progress bar. Looking over at the other three initiates, he found them merely standing around. Walking over, he found a [Task Menu] popped up and the initiates became highlighted in white when he got close.

_[Leadership]: Would you like to command [Scout Marines – Squad 1]?_

Nodding, Revan found there were two possible tasks he could issue to them; [Secure Area] and [Scout Area]. Picking [Secure Area], he watched as the scouts took up positions around the clearing. And lo, another text box appeared…

_You've gained [Leadership EXP] by commanding a squad! By ordering squads on minor tasks, you can build up your [Leadership EXP] and advance your rank. At the Marine rank, you may only use your [Leadership] skill on certain squads during special missions, such as [Base Defense]. Upon reaching the Sergeant Rank, you gain access to [Astartes Story] missions. These missions will allow you to acquire [Astartes] NPCs that you can command indefinitely._

_For more information, see [Leadership] in the in-game player-made guidebook [Codex Destiny]._

'…Codex Destiny. Must be the manual some BETAs put together.'

Shrugging, he looked at his [Leadership]'s experience bar and saw he had roughly 1/15th of the meter filled. Glancing back at [Fenris], he found that his progress meter had barely moved. Yawning, Revan prepared to log out but was interrupted by shouting. Shouting that sounded a lot like…

_"WWAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!"_

Cursing, he whirled around and spotted a small band of orks charging at his position. [Squad 1] started firing upon the now-identified ten [Slugga Boyz] and one [Ork Nob]. He joined in with his [Bolter]. The orks were forced to hunker down by some rocks as he and the initiates rained metal upon them. In a moment, the four bolters were joined by three more as [Fenris] stopped his task and his squad added in their guns.

None of the orks had fallen, yet one of the scouts of [Squad 1] had taken a bad hit. He'd been shot twice in the chest, forcing him to stay in cover while his wounds regenerated. Seeing as we were outnumbered and soon to be very outgunned, Revan tried commanding the scouts.

"Initiates, focus your fire on the [Ork Nob]!"

Luckily, they obeyed and quickly the nob fell under the concentrated fire. Suddenly, the flow of the battle changed. The [Slugga Boyz]'s shots became far less accurate and already two had fallen.

'So the Nobz help the Boyz become more effective in a fight…'

Slowly the [Boyz] fell as Revan and the scouts focused their fire on an ork, one at a time. Soon only three [Slugga Boyz] were left. He felt confident that the fight would soon end but all that changed. A [Looted Leman Russ] appeared down river and blasted a few trees to the left of their position.

"Brother! The blasted xenos had a Leman Russ!"

Revan growled and did his best to take out the ork peering out from the tank's entry hatch. Given that the tank had no viewports to be 'roit killy n gud at stompin', the ork on top was the only way the tank could aim. Firing off a few more rounds, he managed to land a headshot and the looted Russ's next shot took out the remaining [Slugga Boyz]. Taking advantage of the tank's blindness, Revan ordered a retreat east.


	5. Chapter 4 - Interlude: Codex Destiny

_A brief interlude to fill some gaps, give you all some necessary info so I don't gotta explain as much and also elaborate on some stuff I've stated before or will briefly touch in the future._

* * *

"_**To take a town, send a legionary. To take a city, send a squad. To take a world, send a company. To take a culture, send a Chapter."**_

* * *

_**Chapter 4 – Interlude: [Codex Destiny – The Essentials]**_

* * *

**[Codex Destiny 2.1] – Release Edition.**

Written by [Argo] 'the Rat'. Information collected by various BETA Testers

_An in-game guide written by the players, for the players._

_Warning__: Currently has no Eldar-, Astartes- or Sororitas-exclusive content!_

* * *

_(Glossary on Basic MMO Jargon)_

_MMO _(Em-Em-Oh):"_Mass Multiplayer Online_". Genre name for games based on an online server in which a great number of gamers, casual and serious, can interact, quest and fight across the globe.

_Noob_ (N-ew-b): Short for "_newbie_". A slang term for a novice or newcomer, or somebody inexperienced in any profession or activity. In MMOs, the term '_noob_' can be fairly derogatory and is used often by veteran players when interacting with a newcomer.

_RTFM _(Ar-Tee-Eff-Em): "_Read the Frickin' Manual!" _ A term used when a newcomer asks questions that can easily be found in the game manual or guide. Often used as an expletive in times of great frustration against newcomers on the same team/in same guild as veterans.

_RPG_ (Ar-Pee-Gee): "_Role Playing Game_". A genre in which the player lives out a character's life.

_Pwn_ (Po-Ohn): To defeat another in a game. Purposeful misspelling of the word '_own_'.

_UI_ (Yew-Ai): _"User Interface"._ General term for any and all menus, such as the Player Menu, Inventory and Task Menu.

_PK_ (Pee-Kay): _"Player Kill"._ To kill another player. Can be done in neutral areas and in duels (within safe zones such as towns). There are various ways to do this but it is highly discouraged as the act of PK'ing generally earns you the ire of not only the player you killed, but all his friends. Also can cause other players to cease interacting with you and/or aiding you in battle. PKers are generally not trusted.

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Starting off**

Depending on your chosen character's race, class and alignment, you ended up on one of three planets: Ageria for Imperium players, Cyrax for Eldar players or Cerberus for Chaos players. But regardless of your race/class/alignment, the very basics of the game are the same.

First up is your [Top Menu]. Take your **left hand** and hold it at chest level roughly 6 inches in front of you. With your middle finger, casually swipe downwards. If done correctly, a slightly transparent menu shall appear. Its color varies according to your race and alignment, but the setup is the same regardless. You can access other menus by stating their titles in a clear, steady voice while outside of combat; the stated menu will appear in front of you at chest height.

There are six sections of the [Top Menu] that you can choose from:

_-Player Menu_

_-Squad Menu (this should be grayed out by default, unless you've gained a sufficient rank and have recruited NPC troops)_

_-Equipment/Inventory_

_-Social Menu_

_-Options_

_-Exit Menu_

**[Player Menu]**

In this screen is a larger, top portion displaying a 2D frontal representation of your body. This shows your general health and wellbeing. Lines extending from each body part tell you if you're injured on said part and what the injury is. On the lower, smaller portion should be blank space: this is a text box that lets you write down small amounts of information. The maximum amount of characters (words, numbers, spaces and symbols) is 500. This cannot be increased.

On the top right should be two boxes that say [Neutral]; this is your [Health Status]. This box tells you if you're **suffering or benefiting** from a [Status Effect]. Status effects can be anything from [Inspired], which means that you're gaining a bonus to your morale or [Stunned], which leaves you unable to move or react for a brief period of time. Be sure to look up the different effects as their titles can be fairly vague at times.

**[Equipment/Inventory]**

This should display two screens side by side.

On the left is the equipped items menu.

In Section 1, there should be two weapon slots by default: [Left Hand], [Right Hand]. If you have a two-handed weapon, such as a rifle of some kind, then there will be only one (filled) slot.

Section 2 is for your single armor slot. Armor, in most cases, is customizable and can be edited to allow certain portions of it to be removed. Incomplete armor is lighter, but not as protective. [Armor Editing] is done in a separate menu screen.

Section 3 should be a varying number of [Accessory Slots]. By default, most races/classes should have two slots for accessories like special ammunition and equippable consumables like [Grenades].

Section 4 is your commander slot. (Is unlocked after specializing to an advance class) Only special items, such as a [Personal Vox] or [Chaos Icon] can be placed here. Commander items vary according to your class and alignment. These items are **NOT **cross-class/alignment compatible.

On the right is the inventory. All your items are carried in this menu. Items are automatically sorted according to type. Item types are: [Weapon], [Armor], [Accessory], [Food/Ingredients], [Miscellaneous] and [Quest]. While your inventory can hold any storable item, regardless size, it can only hold so much **weight**. Depending on your race and class, you can carry a varying amount of weight. You can increase the amount of weight you can carry through various methods, but it can only increase so much. You can drop, sell and store items when you find yourself overburdened.

_-On average, all human classes at the start can carry up to 50 pounds in their inventory. Through all possible quests and effects, this can be increased to 100 pounds._

_-Armor that is currently being worn affects your carry weight. Wearing armor decreases the amount of weight you may carry by the armor's total weight. This can be negated by achieving mastery for your specific armor expertise. At Master ranked [Armor Expertise], your equipped armor's weight is zero._

_-Your equipped weapon(s) also affect your carry weight. At the [Relic] rank, the weight of your equipped weapon(s) is decreased by fifty percent. There are no further decreases for weapon weight._

_-Another method of circumventing your carry weight limit is to have your troops (should you have gained a squad) carry your surplus items. Most NPC troops can carry items but be warned: NPC troops that are slain lose all non-equipped items. **Only their equipped items and wargear are transferred to the remaining squad members/you.**_

**[Social Menu]**

This should display two screens labeled [Friend List] and [Guild Member List].

The Friend List is as stated, a list of players you have confirmed as a 'Friend'. You can add a player as a Friend if they are within three feet of you. First you need to open your [Friend List], tap the 'Add Friend Button' and type in the player's name. A 'Confirm Friend Request' text box should appear before them. It is up to the other player to accept or decline your friend request. You can only contact a Friend from a distance via a Messenger NPC, which can be killed by enemy NPCs and other players, or by special items, such as a [Personal Vox] or [Servo Skull].

The Guild Member List is a list of members of your guild. At the top of the screen should be the guild name and the current number of active (online) guild members. Below that are the Guild Emblem and the names of the Guild Master and Guild Officers. Next is a list of all the guild members, their current status (online/offline) and their guild rank.

_-The rank names in a guild are customizable; they can be changed from the default [Recruit], [Member], [Officer] and [Guild Master]. You can also add up to four other ranks to the default four._

_-There is no limit on how many members there can be in a guild._

**[Options]**

The Options menu has two subareas.

_-Game Options_

_-Logout_

**[Game Options]**

Adjusts certain aspects of the game as you perceive it.

_-There is no difficulty adjuster. The game's difficulty is set and nothing may change it._

_-You cannot adjust the sound or 'video' settings. W40K: DO is a virtual reality game so everything is the equivalent of your real world senses._

_-You cannot adjust the amount of gore you perceive. W40K: DO is an M-Rated game for a reason._

**_-The [Ethics Setting]. This is a 'special' setting that toggles your character's…*cough* reproductive organs. For males, it visually prevents your…line-and-tackle from being viewed or 'interacted' with by you or other players. For females, you become…smoother and featureless in certain areas, making it impossible for others to 'interact' with you sexually._**

**[Logout]**

This is self-exclamatory and you'd have to be a complete idiot not to know what a bloody 'Logout' button does.


	6. Chapter 5 - Commissar Part 2 and More

_Here the game really begins…_

* * *

"_**You will shoot your enemy once, to ensure he fights no more that day! You will shoot traitors twice, to ensure nothing less than their deserved death!"**_

* * *

_**Chapter 5 – Link Start: Commissar Part 2**_

…_**also Astartes Part 3?**_

_**And Sororitas Part 1?**_

…_**let's just go with the top one…**_

* * *

_He nodded and set about searching the corpses, searching specifically for the greatly unappreciated and undervalued [Scrap Metal] item. Normally the [Scrap Metal] item __was useless to everyone but Tech-players, but Leandra had found it to be very useful during the BETA. [Scrap Metal] helped to pay most Tech-NPCs and –players for services instead of credits; saved her a fortune on repairs and new gear._

_"Fin'sh'd, ma'am."_

_Leandra nodded, the 3x[Scrap Metal], 12x[Imperial Credits] and 1x[Damaged Bolt Gun] added to her near empty [Inventory]…oh, she had forgotten about the 'in-game fortune' that came with the Golden edition. 10,000x[Imperial Credits] would go a long way if she played her cards right. Might even help persuade some players to join her guild/regiment…_

* * *

Leandra groaned pathetically in her recently purchased [Field Tent]; just outside the tent stood four Storm Troopers and [Sgt. Fordo]. She had managed to get to the Ageria's main Imperial Base with over an hour more till she had to log out. She had strode in, full of confidence and enjoying the looks of awe sent by the various beginning Imperial Guard and Tech players. A few she even recognized from the BETA.

But then she saw…

…Commissar Yarrick.

Lord Commissar Sebastian Yarrick, one of the most iconic heroes of the 41st millennium. Hero of the Second and Third War for Armageddon and the relentless hunter of Ghazkull Mag Uruk Thraka…

Such an amazing character to see up close and personal…

His face an adamantium mask of stoicism and a sense of duty strong enough to shrug off even the most heinous of injuries…

She had marched up to him and saluted, ready to try and get a quest to regain her troops…

Yarrick spoke and she…

…she…

…she squealed like a prepubescent fangirl and practically raped him in her mad attempt at glomping him.

Needless to say, she felt like her life was over after she had recovered enough of her brains. She received her four of her Storm Troopers right off the bat, though Leandra had to hid her (virtual) face beneath the brim of her hat and collar of her coat. She nearly ran to the [Supply Depot] in her haste to escape the staring. Using roughly 3000x[Imperial Credits], she outfitted her troops in slightly better than standard gear and managed to buy a few other essentials, such as a [Personal Vox] and the [Field Tent] she was hiding in.

"Uh…hello?"

Leandra groaned. Someone was invading on her pity-party

"Go…away…"

"Miss, can I talk to you?"

She heard a cough and some shifting. Looking up, Leandra saw that it was a player peeking into her tent. She waved him in and he took a seat in front of her. Examining him closely, she figured that he (she was pretty sure the gamer was actually a guy. His avatar wasn't pretty enough to have been made by a girl.) was fairly new.

"Can I help you?"

"Name's Hurstwick. I'm new to Destiny Online and was hoping a veteran like you could possibly give me a few pointers?"

Leandra smirked and asked how he was so sure she was a game veteran. He pointed out that she moved smoothly compared to everyone else he ran into. That she didn't hesitate or glance around in wonder like he had. Sighing, she agreed and packed up her [Field Tent]. Together the two (and her troops) headed off into the field just outside the Imperial Base.

* * *

"Ok, get in the stance I showed you, take aim and fire when you're ready."

It had been a good half hour since Leandra took Hurstwick into the field and had him learning how to open the menus, get his equipment in order, the most helpful rifle stances and practice killing a few minor monsters, [Docile Boars] and [Feral Boars]. The two types were DO's equivalent of 'slimes' in other MMOs. The first couple times, his shots were mostly on target, but as he fired more and more, the game's [TAS] stopped helping him out. Hurstwick had been fairly confused until Leandra pulled out her Codex and showed him the [TAS] section.

_The [TAS], or Temporary Assist System, aids beginning players in completing certain actions the first few tries. After each successive attempt, the TAS decreases its help, allowing players to learn to adjust and adapt._

_-On average, for ranged weaponry, the TAS provides maximum aid for the first ten shots of any weapon. After the ten shots, the system lessens the assistance provided by roughly ten percent per shot fired._

_-For melee weaponry, the TAS provides maximum aid for the first thirty successful strikes. After which, the system lessens the assistance provided by roughly five percent per strike that connects with the target._

_-The TAS does not aid the player's basic movement or stances._

_-The TAS provides aid for the first twenty minutes when controlling a vehicle, such as a [Leman Russ] or [Command-Cycle]._

Hurstwick hunkered down behind a small boulder; steadied is lasrifle and open fired upon a larger-than-average [Feral Boar]. It managed to shrug off the first few grazing shots before he nailed it in the head. Like all its predecessors, the boar slowly decayed to a pile of fur, meat and bones. Ambling over, Hurstwick pulled the 1x[Fur Pelt] and 1x[Boar Meat] from the carcass, giving him 6x[Fur Pelt] and 4x[Boar Meat].

"Looks like you've gotten the basics down, Private Hurstwick."

Leandra actually smiled at his practically being face. The man (after learning that he was in his late 20's, supposedly) pulled himself up and shouldered his rifle.

"All thanks to your generosity, Commissar."

He had been damned lucky that the scary looking woman had agreed to show him the ropes. Otherwise he'd still be trying to figure out how to open his frakkin' inventory! Leandra smirked back and stared at the burning orange sky above the mountains.

"This place is amazing, isn't it Hurstwick?"

Following her gaze, he couldn't help but agree.

"You know, I feel so frakkin' blessed to be alive right now; alive in a time where we have such an amazing game to experience. I can't help but stand in awe of this world that we have the privilege to explore. And by the Emperor, we got four more to see! Kayaba really is a bloody genius, isn't he Leandra?

She nodded, staring up at the four brightest lights on the horizon; Orion, Cyrax, Dur and Cerberus. Yeah, they had more worlds to explore and it was still only opening week! Huffing, Hurstwick stretched, popping his shoulders and marveling at the novelty of actually easing that annoyance…in a game!

"Anyways, thanks so much Leandra. Everything you taught me will no doubt carry my ass through this amazing game and at the very end; I'll be saying 'I made it to the top all thanks to this girl that took pity on an old man playing a young man's game'."

Leandra laughed at that. Smiling to him, she sent a Friend Request that he eagerly accepted.

"I guess I'll be logging out for a bit. Gotta get off in time for the pizza guy to get to my place. Teriyaki and mayonnaise…I can't wait…"

She shuddered at his choice in pizza but smiled all the same.

"I as well. I have a wonderful pre-dinner snack waiting and I shan't miss it."

Hurstwick waved at her as they both opened up their menus and started to log off…

"…uh, Leandra?"

She stopped and glanced at him.

"…is your 'logout' button missing? Because mine is…"

She sighed good-naturedly. Jokingly, she replied,

"It's under 'Options', private. Don't tell me you've already forgotten all I've taught you."

But it seems Hurtswick wasn't joking around. Peeking over his shoulder, she saw that he was indeed missing the [Logout] button. Trying her menu, she found that she was also suffering the same problem.

"Uh, I guess even major games like this suffer from bad glitches. Goes to show you that even Kayaba isn't perfect, huh?"

Hurstwick was trying to laugh it off but Leandra wasn't so sure… Suddenly she hears sirens going off everywhere and all the monsters in the area freeze…as if time had stopped for them.

"Huh, what the frak?! Leandra, do you have any idea wha-…"

* * *

Whatever he had been about to say was lost as both were forcibly teleported to…somewhere unknown. Hurstwick and Leandra looked around at their new location. They stood in a giant barren field with nothing else in sight. The sky was a mass of blood red tendrils and ethereal purple energy. And then the entire field flashed blue as thousands of other players of all the races and class were ported in around them. Quickly looking around, she found that the various alignments were all grouped together in a trinity of color and sounds.

The air became filled with screams of surprise and frustration. Leandra guessed that the entire subsector was here…

"Hey, Hurstwick…stay close and try not to move too much."

He looked at her, his confusion evident. He suddenly understood as he looked around as well. This many people in such close quarters; it only took one person to blow before the entire field would be one giant moshpit of violence. He nodded just as amazed shouts filled the air. Everyone was pointing up at the sky. Both looked up and saw a ship - a bloody Space Hulk! – descending from above. IT was enormous and unlike various ones she had seen in illustrations and in games, this one was in pristine condition.

Leandra's amazement ceased when a booming voice echoed across the field. All fell silent…

"**Players, I am welcome you all…to my world…"**

"Hey, I guess he brought us all here to tell us that they're fixing the logout glitch! Great timing, huh Leandra?"

She merely stared hard at the ship.

"**My name is Kayaba Akihiko and as of right now, I am the only person who can control this world."**

'Why not just send a system announcement? Why go through all the trouble of teleporting everyone into one unknown area?'

She would soon get her answer as players everywhere made the same assumption as Hurstwick…

"**As you all may have, or will have soon, discovered… There is no [Logout] feature. I'd like to announce…"**

All smiled happily…

"…**that this is not a glitch."**

Not a single person spoke…

"**I repeat, this is not a mistake made by the programmers or myself. This is a feature and an integral part of the [Destiny Online] system."**

So many voices cried out in confusion. So many laughed at what they perceived to be an epic joke. So many growled at the stupidity of such a joke. Leandra just shook in place, too horrified to believe the single thought that echoed through her mind…

'He's not joking…'

"**Until you conquer the lost planet Regulus that shall appear at some unknown** **point in the future, you cannot log out of your own free will."**

"What the fuck is going on here? Is this asshole serious?!"

Leandra ignored Hurstwick's shouts as she stared mutely at the Space Hulk.

"**Also, the disruption or dismantling of the NERVE Gear from the outside is strictly forbidden. If such is attempted…"**

The field fell silent…

"…**the signal sensors in your NERVE Gear will emit a powerful electromagnetic pulse, destroying your brain and stopping all you basic functions."**

Leandra went numb. She could faintly hear Hurstwick trying to talk to her; could feel him shaking her, trying to get an explanation for this madness. The mad man known as Kayaba continued his speech, disregarding the pandemonium below his ship.

"**To be more specific: disconnection from an outside power source for more than ten minutes, being cut off from the system for more than two hours, or any attempt to unlock, dismantle or destroy the NERVE Gear. If any of these conditions are met, the brain destruction sequence will begin and nothing can stop it. These conditions have been made known to every government and the world public though mass-synchronized-media messages…**

…**and on that note, several relatives and friends have chosen to ignore these warnings and forcibly removed the NERVE Gear. As a result…"**

Kayaba paused.

"…**exactly four thousand, three hundred and twenty-eight players have exited the game…and the real world, forever."**

Kayaba's announcement continued, attempting to half-heartedly calm the players. Yet even as he spoke, thousands began despairing, fighting against one another and trying to flee the area. Giant black walls of energy appeared between the three factions. Imperium, Chaos and Eldar players isolated from the other factions. The fighting suddenly ceased as auras of green enshrouded the panicked players, preventing them from moving their bodies. Those fleeing suddenly found themselves back where they started; within the confines of the energy barriers. Yet all still cried out in rage and despair…

"…**now relax…and concentrate on beating the game."**

"**But I ask that you all understand that Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online is no longer just a game. It is a complete, fully isolated second reality. From now on, any methods of revival will no longer work. The moment you suffer a complete and utterly final death, your avatar will be gone forever. And at the same time, your brain will be destroyed by the NERVE Gear."**

Leandra looked beside her and found Hurstwick on his knees, staring at the ground blankly. Cautiously, she kneeled beside him and slung her arm over; hugging him tightly, trying to become the anchor he needed…and use him as the anchor she needed as well.

"**Players, there is only one way to be free of this world. As I said before, you must reach the lost planet Regulus after it appears from the Warp, conquer the planet and defend against the rival factions for a period of one year. All players of the occupying faction will immediately be logged out. Of this, I give you my word."**

Many were crying out, asking what would happen to the other factions, but Kayaba did not answer. Leandra knew the answer. The losers would remain here…forever.

"**To further show you that this is the only reality, I have given you all a gift. Open you inventories and inside is a gift from me. Confirm this."**

Most, if not all, complied. Those that didn't found their menus and inventories opened for them. All found the gift in their hands. Leandra and Hurstwick stared at the item [Mirror]. Looking at their reflections, they looked momentarily confused…

Then the field once again was consumed by light…and the screams began again…


	7. Chapter 6 - Agerian Arc 1

_Now that we've gotten past the great reveal, we'll be following the adventures of Revan and Leandra (and Hurstwick!) for a few chapters. Then we'll introduce two others. After that, no major characters will be added until the Cyrax and Cerberus Arcs. Any OC player that is not specifically described or followed closely is to be considered a side character._

_And as usual, please point out any mistakes, inconsistencies and grammar problems you find._

_Leave a review if you really like, hate or even have a suggestion for the story!_

_And finally, if you want to present an OC character. Please refer to the application format and PM your character._

* * *

"**Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind."**

* * *

_**Chapter 6 – Agerian Arc: Nightmare Begins**_

* * *

_Most, if not all, complied. Those that didn't found their menus and inventories opened for them. All found the gift in their hands. Leandra and Hurstwick stared at the item [Mirror]. Looking at their reflections, they looked momentarily confused…_

_Then the field once again was consumed by light…and the screams began again…_

* * *

Pandemonium ensued. Everyone in the field, all their appearances changed. Leandra jerked away from Hurstwick. His tall, scarred yet young appearance had changed to an older, softer version. His hair was no longer a military-cut blonde, but messy and brown. Though he no longer carried the stylized scars, he still looked much the same. Looking at herself in the [Mirror], she found that she too gained another appearance; her face lost its aged appearance and returned to her much more youthful face; her light scars faded to unblemished skin and the tight blonde bun shifted and flowed into her shoulder length black locks.

"What happe-Leandra! Is that you?"

Hurstwick had been staring at his real face and saw that she too had changed.

"I believe that this mirror reveals our real faces…and bodies."

Looking down he nodded quickly. Glancing at the Space Hulk, he took note of Kayaba's speech.

"Hey, that frakkin' bastard's still talking…"

Indeed, 'that bastard' was still talking.

"**You will all most probably be wondering, 'Why?' Why am I – the creator of the NERVE Gear and the very core of Destiny Online, Kayaba Akihiko – doing something like this? Is this some sort of global terrorist attack? Is he doing this to ransom us?"**

Leandra considered all the presented scenarios at quickly as she could…but it still didn't make sense!

"**None of these is the reason I am doing this. Not only is that so, but for me, there is no longer a reason or purpose in doing this. The reason is because…the situation itself was my purpose in doing this. To create and watch this world is the only reason I have created the NERVE Gear and developed Destiny Online. And now, everything has been realized."**

His 'captive' audience was still screaming and despairing as his ship began to rise back into what Leandra now knew to be the Warp.

"…**and now the tutorial for Warhammer 40K: Destiny Online is over. Players…I'd wish you luck but in truth…your only hope of escape…is war."**

Everyone was then consumed in the familiar blue light, finding themselves at their original locations. Leandra and Hurstwick just stayed in one spot for several moments, merely kneeling beside one another and processing everything…

"…this…this is all…"

Hurstwick's face was scrunched up in frustration and barely contained anger. Leandra nodded, messing with her bolt gun… He suddenly jumped to his feet and looked at her with a desperate look on his face.

"Wha-what's the plan, Leandra?"

She just knelt there, staring at him.

'The plan? How would she know?! She was only a bloody 15 year old girl in over her head!'

"I…I don't know…"

Hurstwick took one good look at her shaky composure and squatted in front of her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he spoke carefully choosing his words.

"S-sorry, I know it's a lot to take in and putting our lives in your hands is crazy but…you're my only hope Leandra. If you and I want any chance of making it to Regulus and out of the…madness alive is if you use all your knowledge to give us an edge over Kayaba's death game. I believe you can do it and I'll be right there beside the whole way."

Leandra closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She could do this. Opening her eyes, she stood.

"Ok, we need to hone our skills, find the best gear we can and set up shop in a safe zone."

She summoned her troops over, the Storm Troopers and [Fordo] having remained here during the 'Announcement'.

"Sergeant, lead us to the nearest town. Storm Troopers, escort!"

Hurstwick let out a sigh of relief and followed her lead. Maybe, just maybe they'd make it out of here…

When they finally made it to the town, Leandra was pleasantly surprised. The town of Dynoc's End was actually a player-made settlement. Hurstwick stared at Leandra in disbelief at that little tidbit.

"…you're shitting me, right?

Leandra grinned as she shook her head. The two were just a quarter-mile north on a large hill overlooking the settlement. Down below they could see various NPCs going about their business and actually spotted quite a few players as well.

"No, Dynoc's End is really a town these three guilds started back during the Beta. About three months to the end of the beta phase, there was this big guild battle. On one side was the Eldar guild, the _'Vanguards of Khaine'_ and on the other, an alliance between two Imperium guilds, the _'Ghosts of Terra' _and _'Roaring Dragoons'_. The Vanguards were trying to take over the area but they got their asses handed to them by the Ghosts and Dragoons..."

"But is it called Dynoc's End?"

"The Eldar Guild Master's gamer ID was Dynoc, ok?"

He nodded and gestured for her to continue.

"After the battle, the allied guilds took the credits from their victory and set up an outpost to watch for a repeat attempt. Two weeks later, Kayaba updated DO and gave us the ability to actually build houses and stuff; not just a few walls and rickety towers. Then the guilds wanted a good base to fight off the Vanguards' next attempt. They built that big wall, added the houses on the southern end of town and I'm pretty sure there's a hidden bunker or two down there."

Hurstwick whistled appreciatively.

"I guess the developers added in a few things, eh?"

"Yeah. Now that ragtag base is a full on settlement. Let's get to the inn and see how the other players are handling things…"

* * *

On the other side of the planet, a Space Marine in blood red and bone white power armor struggled across a murky swamp…

Revan cursed as yet another swamp creature; a [Feral Hormagaunt] appeared. Plugging three bolter rounds into it, he directed his initiates onward. He had to get through this swamp; he had to get stronger. He had to get back to the real world!

Reaching dry land, he viewed the craggy steppes the marsh bordered. Looking up and along the cliff face, Revan tried to find a way up or around the obstacle before him.

"Brother."

Looking back, Revan saw [Initiate Fenris] holding up his helmet. Taking his helmet, a notification box appeared.

_[Support Task] complete. [Examine Vox] yields [Captain Aegis's Orders]_

Revan jabs the interface and the captain's voice echoes from his helm; slightly garbled but easily understood.

_"Brother Revan, once you make landfall, search Ageria for the hidden Communications Array and secure it. Get into contact with Chapter Master Angelos! The Emperor Protects!"_

_Slipping his helm on, he checked his mini-map but found it absent…_

_"My apologies brother, but your helm sustained significant damage during the ork attack and our trek through the marsh. _Without a skilled tech-priest, many of its subsystems will be unavailable. Also, the lack of orbital augur arrays leaves us unable to electronically map the terrain we have or will pass."

He groaned…

"Which systems, specifically initiate?"

"The long range vox and thermal auspex."

'Translation: long range communications and thermal vision are out.'

Revan shrugged and decided to up his [Leadership] while he still had minions.

[Squad 1], scout south along the cliff face. Report any points of interests. Engage hostiles only when fired upon."

And off the three initiates jogged, sticking to the marshy brush.

"Sir, your orders?"

"Initiates, guard this position."

[Fenris]'s squad followed his order and took up defensive positions amongst the rocks and bushes. He sighed and pulled out a palm-sized, dark grey book labeled [Codex Destiny].

Surprisingly, the book had updated itself…

Thumbing through it, Revan took note of the information that bastard Kayaba himself had added. Oh nothing on the various 'boss' creatures or missions on Ageria; and certainly no new information on the other planets. There was however edited sections that removed or adjusted outdated info. One example was on [Armor Customization] for Astartes:

_**[Armor Customization]**_

_Section 7__ –__ Adeptus Astartes_

_A Space Marine's armor is a holy relic whose origins can date back millenia. The power armor of an Astartes can have a number of properties gained from its machine spirit's experiences. As such, all armor above Basic rank has bonus effects, buffs and possibly negative buffs that affect the user and those around said user._

_Also, some Superior and above rank power armor can be customized to fit the player's preferences and upgraded to perform beyond their initial specifications._

_During customization, armor is divided up into nine sections and has_ _up to three [Armor Accessory] slots per section. Certain armors may have fewer slots per section or only specific armor sections may be customized._

_-Helm (one slot)_

_-Left Pauldron (three slots)_

_-Right Pauldron (three slots)_

_-Left Gauntlet (one slot)_

_-Right Gauntlet (one slot)_

_-Torso (one slot)_

_-Left Leg (two slots)_

_-Right Leg (two slots)_

_-Power Pack (two slots)_

_Customization Example__ – provided by Kayaba Akihiko_

_[Damaged Power Armor] – Superior rank:_

_Classic, unadorned Astartes power armor. Bears darkened, plasma scars on torso and legs. Only helm and pauldrons may be customized._

Revan smirked at how cool he could possibly make his future armor look. Skimming ahead, he came to a stop at [Armor Accessories]. He wondered if they were the similar to regular [Accessories].

_[Armor Accessories]_

_Section 12 – Adeptus Astartes_

_Armor accessories are aesthetic items or bolstering upgrades that may be added to an armor section with an available armor accessory slot. Accessories may be attached at any time (except for during combat), but only may be removed by a tech-savvy NPC or player without being destroyed. Armor accessories can also be disabled, damaged or destroyed in combat through varying means. (See Advance Combat Techniques – Destroying Items for more information)_

_A short list of aesthetic accessory items for Astartes armor:_

_-[Chains of Faith] – Crossing chains bolted to armor. For Pauldron and Leg sections._

_-[Etchings] – Passage of words that can be customized to say different messages. For Pauldron, Leg and Gauntlet sections._

_-[Gold Plating] – Pseudo-Gold filigree that decorates the armor. All sections allowed._

Revan had to give Kayaba credit. The fucker may be bat shit crazy, but he did design a really good game…

{Brother, Scout marines reporting.}

Revan held his left index and middle finger to his ear, activating the helm's vox.

"Report."

{Xenos spotted a quarter mile south of your position; an ork camp; twelve [Gretchin], eight [Ork Boyz] and a [Nob]. The greenskins are blocking the only way onto the steppes. Orders, sir?}

Revan thought carefully…

"Stay hidden while we rendezvous with you."

He looked over at [Fenris]. Signaling him and the two scouts to follow, they slogged their way through the marsh's edge. As they approached the scouting squad's position, Revan signaled [Fenris] to head further south and find a defensible position in case they needed to fall back and regroup. As [Fenris]'s squad left, Revan surveyed the ork encampment. The camp, if you could really call a pile of scrap, a hastily made scrap fence and a single hovel a camp, was fairly open. All it would take was the element of surprise at just the right moment…or…

'Hey…there's something interesting…'

Up on the edge of the cliff, nearly above the ork camp, was a pile of precariously set boulders and rocks…a small explosion would send the whole lot tumbling onto the xenos…

Using his HUD, he marked the stabilizing rocks and had his marines open fire upon the boulders. The orks started shouting just as the boulders fell, burying the greenskins in rubble. For a few moments, Revan waited; he needed to be careful just in case any of the orks still lived. For a full minute, nothing moved so Revan first sent in the scout marines to see if it was safe. Both squads stealthily entered the wrecked camp; a few shots were fired but those were merely finishing the job.

{All xenos terminated.}

"Any items of use or value?"

{None sir.}

He joined up with his marines and they headed up the craggy path to the steppes. He was getting the hang of this 'commanding' thing. Now he just had to hold out until the end…

* * *

_On the outside, so many things would change. Every major government around the globe struggled to peacefully contain the outcry and mobs that had rose up in response to Kayaba's plan. Games Workshop and Bioware worked in concert with the UN and every counter-terrorist and intelligence agency to try and hack the NERVE Gear and Destiny server. All attempts failed and were the cause of roughly a third of the four thousand, three hundred and twenty-eight players world-wide._

_All attempts to shut down the server ended within the first week._

_All attempts to utilize unused NERVE Gear helms to enter Destiny Online failed and resulted in thirteen deaths. Ten of which were civilians; the panicked friends and relatives that had access to a free helm attempted to enter the game to be try and help. The built-in EMP device of each helm activated as they tried to log-in._

_And all attempts to try and simply view the game world simply caused Kayaba's speech to broadcast across the globe at each try._

_So the world watched their beloved sons, daughters, husbands, wives and friends lie in various hospitals and long-term care centers…_

…_praying that the players would beat the game and wake up soon._

_But the days would pass into weeks._

_The weeks would pass into months._

_And a year would go by as the body count rose._

_Every expert of the Warhammer 40K series that was interviewed would merely shake their heads, defeated expressions on their faces._

_For in the grim, dark existence of the 40__th __millennium, there is only death, carnage and endless war._


	8. Chapter 7 - Interlude: Codex Destiny

_Another interlude to add more info that could be helpful._

_Review if you find something that doesn't seem right or really like something in the fic. I'm open to suggestions and OCs._

**_Update:_**_ Changed some squad numbers. Mainly Conscripts and Imperial Guard Squad._

_"The conscripts seem a little low in numbers. They die real fast in the table top game and the lowest size squad is 20 with the ability to recruit up to 50/" - Commissar Danno_**_  
_**

_I'm making Conscripts number between ten and twenty to keep the numbers more manageable. Helps keep things proportionate._

_Imperial Guard Squad = five to fifteen._

_Keeps the difference between quantity and quality proportionate. As you get better and better, the number of men you need lessens._

_Thanks!_

* * *

"_**Fifth Company, this is the moment of truth. You will not fear. You will not falter. You will not give a single step to the enemy."**_

* * *

_**Chapter 7 - Interlude: [Codex Destiny – Your Troops]**_

* * *

_**[Codex Destiny 2.1.1] – Post-Release Edition**_

Written by [Argo] 'the Rat'. Information collected by various BETA Testers

_An in-game guide written by the players, for the players._

_Warning__: Currently has no Eldar-, Astartes- or Sororitas-exclusive content!_

_Updated: April 3__rd__, 2018_

* * *

**Chapter 8 – The Imperial Guard Squads**

This chapter, we'll be discussing the some various squads you can come to command, the advantages and disadvantages of each and more. As a reminder, the only way to be able to command a squad other than in a mission is to gain sufficient rank in [Leadership] and, according to new information provided by a few unnamed IG players, you (or special companion NPCs) need fulfill certain requirements to even recruit squads on your own.

Starting off, you have no squad to command on your own. Through various missions, you'll be granted temporary command of some squads but those mission-specific squads are much more limited compared to your player-commanded squads. Mission-squads can only follow certain player commands that do not interfere with their programmed mission routines. One example is that a player is commanding a squad programmed to die at a certain point. If the player attempts to circumvent the event programming, the squad will desert the player and go to complete their 'objective'.

Player-exclusive squads can be recruited outside of missions from certain buildings and areas, such as the [Infantry Command Bunker], a [Imperial Troop Barracks], a [Conscription Office] or even a random NPC event that lets you take the event's main NPC as a follower. Beware that [Unique Event] NPCs can only be recruited by the first person that completes the Event.

_[Unique NPCs]_

_These NPCs are completely unique and only one of them can exist in Destiny Online at any time. Each one has a purpose and some can be recruited later on. Some, however, cannot be recruited and have special traits that prevent them from accompanying you outside of missions. There are several categories of Unique NPCs. Here are a few:_

_- Random Event – Special NPCs that appear randomly as [Immortal Objects] and after a certain amount of time, trigger a Unique Event that can only be complete by the first player to activate said Event. After that event, the Unique NPC lose their [Immortal Object] Status and can also become recruitable to the player._

_- Event – Special NPCs that appear from time to time as [Immortal Objects] and can trigger a Unique Events upon arrival, after a set amount of time or upon the completion of a global event or mission. These NPCs can have missions attached to them and can be recruitable if the mission is completed. Unlike Unique Random Event NPCs never lose their [Immortal Object] Status._

_-Mission – NPCs that grant class missions that are [Immortal Objects] and, depending on their rank, can have unique skills that can possibly be learned by the player. Mission NPCs can never be recruited and may only be commanded for certain missions, if possible. (Examples include Commissar Yarrick, Lord-General MacArthur and Magos Ezekiel) Also, certain NPCs of this class can be killed by Special Events or by certain NPCs. (Example: Commissar Yarrick vs Warboss Ghazghkull)_

_-Skill Trainer – NPCs that teach and train players in specific skills. They can only be found in certain areas and each one is considered the highest ranked user of their skill. Skill Trainers are [Immortal Objects]._

Imperial Guard players, regardless of their [Leadership] rank, can only recruit player-exclusive squads upon reaching their specialized class or achieving the elite Commissar class. The only known workaround is to have a unique companion NPC that has sufficient rank in the [Leadership] skill. Companion NPCs may only recruit other NPCs from their race/class-specific areas/buildings.

* * *

Basic Imperial Squads and Layouts:

Conscript Squad – Squad of Guardsmen that are the weakest of all other squads. Can be recruited from [Conscription Offices] and from NPC population. Standard squad numbers between ten to twenty. Each guardsman is equipped with [Conscript Flak Armor] and [Substandard Lasrifle]. Equipment can be upgraded to include [Single-Shot Grenade Launcher] and [Standard Flak Armor]. Can be promoted to [Imperial Guard Squad].

Imperial Guard Squad – The standard guard squad. Can be recruited from [Imperial Troop Barracks]. Squad numbers between five and fifteen. Each guardsman is equipped with [Standard Flak Armor] and [Standard Lasrifles]. Equipment can be upgraded to include [Six-Shot Grenade Launcher], [Light Flamer], [Plasma Gun], [Heavy Bolter] and [Improved/Superior Flak Armor]. Squad can be promoted to [Storm Trooper Squad]. *A [Vox-Caster] or [Medicae] guardsman can be added to the squad.

Heavy Weapons Squad – Heavy support squad. Can be recruited from [Imperial Troop Barracks] and [Infantry Command Bunker]. Squad numbers between two to four. Each guardsman is equipped with [Standard Flak Armor], [Standard Lasrifle] and one guardsman is equipped with a [Heavy Bolter]. Equipment can be upgraded to [Heavy Flak Armor] and [Improved Lasrifle]. The [Heavy Bolter] can be upgraded and replaced with an [Autocannon], [Mortar] and [Lascannon]. Has special command - [Entrench], that allows squad occupying a building/hiding in cover to improve their location to become a better defensive position. *A [Vox-Caster] guardsman can be added to the squad.

_-[Entrench] adds [Barbed Wire] and [Sandbags] to their cover. Buildings become sturdier against small/medium arms fire and cannot be entered by enemy squads._

Scout Squad – Light skirmish squad. Can be recruited from [Outpost Barracks] and [Imperial Troop Barracks]. Squad numbers between two and four. Each guardsman is equipped with [Light Flack Armor], [Camo-Cloak] and [Standard Lasrifle]. One guardsman is equipped with a [Long-Las]. Equipment can be upgraded to [Improved Flak Armor] and [Improved Lasrifle]. *A [Vox-Caster] guardsman can be added to the squad. Has special command – [Camouflage] that utilizes the camo-cloak to make them hard to be seen from long-range.

Medicae Squad – Medical support squad. Can be recruited from [Infantry Command Bunker] and [Medicae Tent]. Squad numbers between one to three. Each guardsman is equipped with [Light Flak Armor] and [Standard Lasrifle]. One guardsman is equipped with a [Medical Kit]. Equipment can be upgraded to [Improved Flak Armor] and [Improved Lasrifle]. A [Vox-Caster] guardsman can be added to the squad. Has two special commands

_-[Treat Injured] allows squad to automatically treat the wounded soldiers nearby; can only treat one squad at a time. Also can be used to treat players' wounds._

_-[Carry Injured] allows squad to carry up to two heavily wounded guardsmen or players to the nearest safe zone or [Medicae Tent]._

Storm Trooper Squad – Elite infantry squad. Can be recruited from [Imperial Command Headquarters]. Squad numbers between four and twelve. Each trooper is equipped with [Standard Carapace Armor] and [Hellgun]. Equipment can be upgraded to [Superior Carapace Armor] and [Superior Hellgun]. A [Vox-Caster] trooper can be added to the squad. Has two special commands.

_-[Infiltrate] allows troopers to become nearly invisible at medium and long range when behind or in any kind of cover. Can't be activated while in combat. Can retain invisibility if traveling in well-covered areas, such as dense urban areas, forests and swamps._

_-[Seize] allows troopers to take over enemy vehicles, buildings and supplies. Can't be activated if squad numbers less than six. Only usable when using [Infiltrate]._

Those were the basic squads most IG players can recruit.

The * dictate that this feature is only available to Imperial Guard Captains and Commissars.

On another note, there are some crossover squad recruitments that do happen. Imperial Guard players that achieve the Tank Division Commander rank can recruit tech-classed NPCs and Tech players that achieve the Magos Explorator rank can recruit up to 2x[Imperial Guard Squad] if they complete certain missions.

* * *

**Chapter 15 – Squad Equipment**

Imperial Squad Section:

Equipping your squad with the right wargear can be the difference between victory and defeat. While each squad has a set of recommended upgrades, you can add specialized equipment not listed if your squad has the relevant [Skills].

Most full IG squads can equip a variety of wargear. Here is the current listing of all basic specialized wargear that may be equipped to the base [Imperial Guard Squad] at full loadout:

_-[One-Shot Grenade Launcher]_

_-[Six-Shot Grenade Launcher]_

_-[Plasma Gun]_

_-[Light Flamer]_

_-[Heavy Bolter]_

Adding to this list is a series of non-base wargear that is not listed as compatible to the base [Imperial Guard Squad]. Beside each wargear are the requirements that allow the squad to utilize the wargear and a brief description of each one.

_-[Stretcher] – requires any rank in [Medical]. A collapsible stretcher that allows the squad to carry an injured player or NPC safely._

_-[Meltagun] – requires [Relic] rank in [Range Weapon Expertise]. An anti-tank weapon that slings a mix of pyrum-petrol gas that vaporizes pretty much anything._

_-[Diagnosticator]/[Diagnostor] – requires max rank in [Medical] and a [Medicae] guardsman in the squad. It can detect and diagnose almost every [Ailment] and can be incorporated into [Medical Kits] and [Servo-Skulls]._

_-[Servo-Skull] – requires [Superior] rank in [Techno-Pagan]. These are drones that appear to be human skulls outfitted with electronic or cybernetic components that utilize embedded anti-gravity field generators to allow them to hover and drift through the air. [Imperial Guard Squads] and IG/Tech players can use this wargear as a scouting device, security camera and messenger._


	9. Chapter 8 - Agerian Arc 2

_Okay, so in this chapter, we got a bit of a Timeskip. Also, I'll be introducing a couple minor characters and a great many unnamed players will appear as well._

_Also, technically Destiny Online is in the late 40__th__/early 41__st__ millennium of the Imperium…but Warhammer 41K doesn't sound as good as 40K, does it?_

_This chapter features a small guild, the Red Falcons. They're a cheery bunch, just like the Black Cats of the Full Moon from SAO._

_Hope they don't end up the same way, eh?_

_Note: This chapter is kinda weird to me, so if you think it can be improved, please say so! My writing will most likely not get any better without feedback._

* * *

"_**Raise the flag high. Let those degenerates know who comes to claim their lives this day!"**_

* * *

_**Chapter 7 – Agerian Arc: Trials of Man**_

* * *

_An excerpt from the recordings of an unknown player:_

_[…it's been a hard week. The guild's settled in Temple Town thanks to Jayce and Squad 2. They managed to take out that Ork Nob that had been terrorizing the town for the past month. It was actually all an accident according to the boss. They had just stumbled across the Nob all alone during patrol and had gotten the jump on the stupid ork. They killed it with a frag to the face and next thing we all know the warehouse we were using turns into a real guild house._

_A big surprise for us all lounging around inside!_

_Everyone's pretty excited now that we're officially a guild. Dyson gave us a really cool name – Red Falcons. Who knows? Maybe we'll be a big name someday like the Orkbusters! And then…]_

* * *

Dina smiled, taking in the morning sun. With a spring in her step and her lasrifle in hand, she jogged towards the Temple Town's lone guild - the _Red Falcons_. Easily dodging the few NPC and player pedestrians on Main Street, Dina made it into formation just as the guild's leader: Dyson stepped out to do his daily inspection.

Standing between two of her fellow guild mates, she sighed. Despite how great her friends were and the camaraderie they held, she held only tiniest of resentment to the guys and gals…after all, who wouldn't be a bit put out that they were the shortest member of a guild eighteen strong? Not to mention she was a full foot shorter than the next shortest person…

"Dina!"

She snapped to attention, catching Dyson's exasperated face. She blushed and ducked her head down; sadly, the brim of her guard helm did nothing to hide her red face.

"Ah, sorry Dys. Was distracted…"

He just shook his head as he went down the line, making sure everyone had their equipment and supplies. Even if they were just patrolling the edge of town, the very act of going outside the town's meager walls was potentially fatal to the unprepared.

"…Hal, First Squad's guarding the north gate today. But every three hours, have four of you - don't matter which - patrol west along the wall to the south gate. Jayce, Second's guarding the south gate; every three hours, have four people patrol east along the wall. And…"

Here, Dyson sighed and stopped in front of Dina and her squad mates Gred and Forge. Looking at the two tall redheads and her, he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Dina, I need you to take these two bozos up to the Lookout. The augur transmitter we up is on the fritz. It's sending us the 'All Clear', 'Heavy Weather' and 'Danger Incoming' readings all at once. Since you're the only one of us that has any decent Tech [Skills], it's up to you to figure out what's up."

Dina gulped… The Lookout was this big rock you could climb that gave you a near three-sixty view of the entire valley. It was a great feature that really made this place an ideal spot for keeping an eye on the surrounding area. Only problem was that it was halfway up the eastern mountain face…the rocky, rubble-covered mountain face.

"I, uh…"

She was suddenly lifted onto the shoulders of Gred and Forge. She shrieked at the two loons to let her down.

"Don't worry boss, me and Forge'll get your girl up the scary mountain and back in one piece."

His twin nodded emphatically at Dyson's sputtering, red visage.

"Yeah boss, not one hair on her pretty little head'll be out of place. She'll be back in one piece and ready for your ravishing, 'kay?"

Dina shrieked again, this time at their insinuations.

"Gred, Forge! You idiots take that back! Me and Dys aren't like tha-…"

Her voice faded as the two carried her off, singing discordantly at the top of their voices. Dyson just stood there red and flustered. Coming to his senses, he noticed the barely stifled snickers and giggling. He whirled around and glared ineffectually at his guild. Hal walked over and clapped his poor leader on the shoulder.

"Don't worry Dyson. Gred and Forge are just being their usual cheerful selves…"

Dyson calmed down. The two jokers probably saw Dina had been scared and wanted to-

"…and Dina will eventually notice how much you're in love with her…nah, that'll never happen!"

He twitched…

"Aaagggh! All of you get out of here!"

The two squads left, smiles all around. Dyson sighed…

"…she'll notice…eventually…I just gotta keep my spirits up…"

Though slightly depressed, Dyson and his 2IC, Vorn left to do the week's supply inventory…

* * *

"…I says, 'Forge, hold my las. I gotta whoop this blighter's arse!' Then I sock the bugger's jaw and he goes down. One hit I tell ya!"

Dina giggled at Gred's telling if how he and his brother got out of the then-panicked city of Jurra several months ago. Looking at the two of them, she was glad they could still be funny and carefree despite…

She sighed.

…despite being trapped in this nightmare.

"Gred forgets that I had to drag his sorry arse outta the city gates because he got laid out by that arsehole's friends. Those guys woulda killed us if we hadn't been so good at running."

The now-sullen Gred sighed, mumbling 'yeah' and returned to keeping watch. He had to stay vigilant because as close as it was to Temple Town, there were still quite a few orks infesting the surrounding area. Every now and then, the greenskins would assault the town and the Falcons would hold them off. They'd been lucky so far, not losing anyone. There were some close calls, like Frank losing his left eye to a stray dakka round or Casey getting her arm scarred up by an ork's choppa. But their luck won't hold out forever; especially if they lost this damn augur… There was a sudden squelching sound. Dina asked Forge to check the power cables but the redhead wasn't answering.

"Hey Forge, did you hear…me…"

Turning around, she saw Gred lying in the dirt with his head split open and Forge held in the grasp of a huge ork…

"G-gre…Fo-orge…"

He grunted and yelled,

"Dina, RUN!"

Not even hesitating, she broke out into a sprint. She bolted as fast as she could back to town, ignoring everything around her. Even Forge's agonized cries suddenly cutting out…

'Gred…Forge…I'm-I'm so sorry!'

Running, that's all she did. She dodged trees and bushes; she leapt over logs and ditches… She ducked and screamed as she ran from the cries of the orks at her back.

"Waaaaggh!"

Then the town came in sight. At the wall were Faren and Duro, watching the forest as Jamie and Kerber examined something.

"G-guys!"

They spotted Dina running out of the woods. They happily waved, ignorant of her plight. Desperately, she screamed,

"ORKS! RUN!"

They didn't and the orks who erupted from the trees behind her nearly killed them with a barrage of badly aimed dakka fire. Dina took cover behind some rocks right beside Danny as the four returned fire on the greenskins. All of them kept it up as Jamie tried and to hail the others on the [Personal Vox] she had. Dina bit back tears as she managed to down one of the orks. Sadly, more were arriving and they were already outnumbered three to one.

"Shit, we got-…"

Their eyes widened as Duro was torn to shreds by a barrage of dakka. He crumpled and the ground turned dark with his blood. Jamie crawled next to his cooling corpse, sobbing denials even as the orks got closer and closer. Faren and Kerber were slowing them down as much as they could, but there were simply too many orks…

"Jamie, come on. We gotta go!"

Dina shook the inconsolable girl, trying to snap her out of it. Jamie merely shrugged her off and kept sobbing into the Duro's bloody chest. Kerber suddenly let loose a curse and tackled Dina out of cover. Faren followed a second after with Jamie in his arms as the rocks suddenly exploded. An ork must have thrown a [Stikkbomb]… They scrambled to their feet and pelted along the wall, making a break for the south gate.

* * *

_**Four hours later…**_

Dyson slammed to the ground as another stikkbomb exploded in front of the barricade. Peaking over, he took out a [Mad Dok] with his [Plasma Pistol]. He ducked behind the street-wide barrier just as a hail of dakka peppered. Cursing quietly, Dyson glanced across to check on his remaining guildmates; no that's the wrong word. The remaining friends he had left. Tears streaked down his face as he remembered all those lost because of these frakkin' xeno scum!

_Gred and Forge – the jokers now dead thanks to a Kommando that snuck up on them. Forge distracted it to give Dina time to escape…_

_Duro – all too serious and slain trying to get his friends to the gates…_

_Hal, Henric, Kaiden, Bordu, Felicia and Jai – the good dependable 1__st__ Squad all killed by the same Kommando that took out the twins…_

_Jayce – his best friend mowed down covering his team's retreat…_

_Vorn – the best damn second-in-command any guy could have captured and torn to shreds by a crowd of [Gretchin]…_

Dyson pulled his knife out and gutted an ork that attempted to climb over the barricade. Farther down, he spotted Alice, the guild medic trying to stem the bleeding stump of Harry's arm; the stump was all that was left of his right arm thanks to a damn lucky ork boyz' choppa. Kerber and Faren were manning the one heavy weapon they had – a [Heavy Bolter] – and raining hell on the bastards trying to make it through the north gate. And finally, Jamie and Dina. Poor Jamie was holed up in the corner sobbing while Dina kept her safe. She and Dyson's gazes met for a moment. Dyson turned away and lobbed a frag down the battle-scarred street, the resulting blast taking out at least three more orks.

Not that it mattered with how many orks were baying for their blood…too damn many to count. Suddenly, an explosion from behind stunned him, leaving his ears ringing. Getting up, he felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him roughly.

"…-son…DYSON!"

He turned back and found Dina…splattered with blood and crying.

"Shit, medi-…"

She covered his mouth and shook her head. She silently pointed to the shelter she had been holed up in. Looking over, he saw Jamie. Or rather, what was left of the girl and the shelter. Dina answered him before he had a chance to ask.

"She ripped the pins from her grenade belt. I barely had time to get away…"

Dyson wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry into his chest. Another friend gone…

"…it's hopeless, isn't it Dys? We're…we're really gonna die here…"

He didn't have the heart to lie to her. To tell her they'd get out of this alive. He just hugged her tighter as the orks' 'waagh' crreis grew louder and his friends' cries grew more desperate. Just as the noise reached its peak, a series of earthshaking explosions silenced them all. Dyson and Dina slowly got their feet, peering over the barrier. What they saw shocked them…

On the orks' side of the town, they saw that…reinforcements had arrived! All over, they could see stormtroopers, guardsmen and even an [Ogryn Squad] tearing apart the orks. A few resounding blasts that tore a cluster of buildings apart revealed a trio of Leman Russ tanks. And on top of the lead tank was a banner…the banner of the Orkbusters! The remnants of the Red Falcons cheered wildly and a dozen or so guardsmen NPCs clampered to their side of the barricade. Two medicae assisted Alice with Harry and another four started treating the others. Some stormtroopers went to reinforce Kerber and Faren; their hellguns laying waste to the retreating orks at the north gate.

A rustling of heavy cloth turned their attention to a fem-Commissar player with long black hair. A taller, brown-haired Stormtrooper led a squad of NPC troopers at her flanks. Her stately, crisp appearance made Dyson instinctively snap off a salute with Dina following. An Ork Kommando rippled into view. His cry of 'waagh' was cut short by the female Commissar. She simply drew her boltgun and blew his head away without breaking stride. She returned the gesture ad simply said,

"It looks like you all could use some help."

Dyson just sank to his knees and cried.

* * *

**Red Falcon Guild Roster**

Guildmaster – _Commander Dyson_ [Class - Imperial Guard Captain]

Second-In-Command – _Lieutenant Vorn_ [Class – Imperial Guardsman] – Deceased

Medic – _Sergeant Alice_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen]

Technician – _Private Dina_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen]

Scouts – _Private Gred and Forge_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen] – Deceased

1st squad sergeant – _Sergeant Hal_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen] – Deceased

2nd squad sergeant – _Sergeant Jayce_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen] – Deceased

1st squad members: _(All members dead)_

_Henric_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen]

_Kaiden_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen]

_Bordu_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen]

_Felicia_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen]

_Jai_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen]

2nd squad members:

_Duro_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen] – Deceased

_Kerber_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen]

_Jamie_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen] – Deceased

_Faren_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen]

_Harry_ [Class – Imperial Guardsmen] – Crippled


End file.
